New Forest Fund supports Dong Nai in sustainable forest development

​The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding on the "Project of joint investment of the wood processing material in Dong Nai Province" between New Forest Fund, Australia and Tan Vinh Cuu Joint Stock Company, Bien Hoa City. Photo by P.A

Currently, the planted forest area in the province is mainly small trees for paper, chips, and pellets. Most of the wood materials used by wood processing enterprises are from imported wood and wood from other localities. The joint investment project in the plantation wood processing area in Dong Nai province will create a quality raw material area to supply high-quality wood in the field of interior decoration for the export market. The development of large timber plantations with a planting period of 9-10 years before exploitation also helps forest growers to increase their income much more than early harvesting.

According to the signed MOU, the New Forest Fund will support organizations and households planting forests in the province in the development of varieties, planting techniques, care, and prolonging the age of trees until they are old enough to exploit large trees. This project aims to create a brand name for Vietnamese plantation timber by being granted FSC forest certification, creating a sustainable and legal source of Vietnamese forest timber, a large and stable source of timber. The goal is that by 2025, the province will develop the source of materials from plantations to meet at least 28% of the demand for raw materials for wood processing and export forest products, gradually reducing imported materials, ensuring the legality of raw wood.

The survey team with the participation of representatives of the New Forest Foundation surveyed planted forests in Xuan Loc District. Photo: P.A

In the morning of the same day, the Provincial Forest Protection Department led a delegation of New Forest Fund representatives to Xuan Loc District to work with the Management Board of Xuan Loc District Protection Forest and to survey some planted forest areas of the Management Board of Xuan Loc Protection Forest and contracted forest area for local people to exploit, mainly melaleuca and acacia hybrid material forests.

At the signing ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Vo Van Phi highly appreciated the meaning of the "Project of joint investment of the wood processing material in Dong Nai Province". The project is completely consistent with the strategic direction, policy, and desire of the province's forestry industry as well as wood processing enterprises and forest growers.